Arsenal appear to have had their chances of signing Julian Alvarez boosted as Atletico Madrid open talks to sign a replacement striker.
Alvarez has spent much of the summer attempting to engineer a move away from Atletico, with Barcelona thought to be his preferred destination. His efforts, though, have so far proven fruitless. He has failed to report for training multiple times since publicly asking to leave the club in an interview at the World Cup, citing illness, but Atletico remain adamant they will not sell to a direct rival in Barcelona.
Alvarez return and Arsenal interest
Alvarez has since returned to training, but he did not feature in the matchday squad for Saturday’s trip to face Sevilla. As such, Arsenal have emerged as his most likely destination, despite the belief the player is hesitant to return to the Premier League. It also remains to be seen whether Arsenal will bid for Alvarez.
Atletico move for Jonathan David
In any case, Atletico appear to have begun planning for his exit with a bid to sign Juventus’ Jonathan David on loan. Fabrizio Romano reports they have lodged a formal offer to take the Canadian on loan with an option to buy, with the two clubs now locked in talks. The player is said to be open to the move, though Juventus will want to sign a replacement before letting him leave.
The move suggests Atletico are bracing either for Alvarez to leave the club, or play a diminished role this season should he stay. David only joined Juventus from Lille last summer, scoring six times in 36 Serie A appearances.
Time is running out for Arsenal to move for Alvarez, with the transfer window due to close on Tuesday night.
